Merle Travis recorded the original 16 tons in 1946…though he did have a little help with its legacy.

You’re on the Sound Beat.

The lyrics of Sixteen Tons paint a grim picture of a Kentucky coal miner’s life.

Tennessee Ernie Ford took a shine to the song, recording and releasing it as a B-side to “You Don’t Have to Be a Baby to Cry” in October of ‘55. Two months later, it was the greatest selling single of all time.